Flexible plastic bag package



8 1957 F. ALTMAN, JR 3,338,398

FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG PACKAGE Filed July 29, 1966 2 Sheets-5heet 1 25 F'mgu IN! 'EN TOR. FQANK MBTMAmJQU Aug. 29, 1967 Filed July 29, 1966 F. ALTMAN, JR 3,338,398

FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

INVENTOR.

fl n10, 5- M ATTORNEYS FRANK ALTMAmJ.

United States Patent 3,338,398 FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG PACKAGE Frank Altman, Jr., Dearborn, Mich., assignor to The Eagle-Picher Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed July 29, 1966, Ser. No. 568,940

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-57) and tend to slip relative to one another. One successful system for handling the bags is shown in the patent to Altman 4,044,233, issued July 17, 1962.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel package which can be readily handled; which will effectively maintain the bags in proper relation to one another during handling; and which can be readily placed upon a machine to retain the bags in position for operation of the machine.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the package embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view taken from the right of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrow 3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a bottom corner of the package on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary part sectional plan view of a bag utilized in the package.

FIG. 6 is a partly diagrammatic side elevational view of a machine in which the package may be use-d.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the machine shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 1, the package 10 embodying the invention is made of a plurality of organic plastic bags such as polyethylene having a thickness on the order of less than three to four mils. Each bag 11 (FIG. 5) comprises a pair of walls 12, 13 which are joined together on three sides. Along the bottom edge of the bag, the bag may be folded inwardly as at 14 to form what is know as a gusset bottom. Alternatively, the two walls may be joined together along a straight line to form a plain bottom bag. The bottom wall 12 of the bag is longer than the wall 13 to form a lip 15. Each lip 15 is provided with a pair of spaced openings 16. A slit 17 extends from the edge of the bottom wall 12 to a point adjacent but spaced from each opening 16 to provide a line of weakness in the lip.

The bags 11 are stacked one upon the other with the openings 16 in alignment. Intermediate and substantially halfway between the top and bottom bags of each package, a rigid reinforcing member 18 of cardboard or the like is provided. A fastening member in the form of a bent wire 19 having spaced legs 20 connected by a bight portion 21 is positioned above the pile of bags and the legs 20 are moved downwardly through the aligned openings 16. The bight portion 21 thus rests on the lip of the topmost bag 11. A rubber washer 22 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is then pushed over the enlarged end 23 of each leg 20 and is frictionally held thereon to retain the bags and, in turn, the package in assembled relation.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, reinforcing member 18 is substantially rectangular and has a width substantially equal to the width of the bags. The length of the reinforcing member 18 is such that one end 24 thereof termi- 3,338,398 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 nates adjacent the legs 20 and the other end thereof terminates short of and in spaced relation to the ends of the bags, preferably before the gussets as at 25. By terminating the reinforcing member 18 short of the gussets, additional space is provided to accommodate the increased thickness of the gussets.

Finally, in order to complete the package, a frangibleband such as paper band 26 is wrapped around the package transversely and the ends are fastened to one another as by gluing.

When made in the fashion described, the package can be readily handle-d during shipping. When it is desired to use the package on a machine such as shown in FIG. 6, it is inserted upon the platform 30 which is yieldingly urged upwardly by a spring 31. The bight portion 21 of the fastener on the package is engaged over one or more locating and guide elements 32 on the machine. The operator then removes the band 26 by tearing or cutting it and withdraws the reinforcing member 18. The spring loaded platform 30 urges the bags upwardly against the locating and stop members 32. The topmost bag of each bag is expanded by air emanating from nozzles 33 so that the articles to be packaged, such as loaves of bread L, can be fed manually or otherwise through a guide trough 34 into each bag. In accordance with well known practice, the insertion of the loaf of bread L into the bag and continued movement of the loaf of bread causes the top most bag to be torn from the fastener 19 along the weakened lines exposing the next bag and permitting the air to open the next bag.

As shown in FIG. 6, the platform 30 terminates short of the ends of the legs 20 and alternatively has openings therein to permit the legs 20 to pass freely therethrough and the bags to be yieldingly urged upwardly against the said lip having a pair of spaced openings therethrough,

said bags being positioned with said openings in alignment and the shorter wall facing upwardly,

a U-shaped fastening element having a pair of legs connected by a substantially straight bight portion,

said legs extending downwardly through said openings with the bight portion extending across the top of the package,

fastening means on the lower ends of said legs,

a substantially rigid reinforcing member interposed substantially midway between the topmost and bottommost bags,

said reinforcing member terminating at one end substantially adjacent said legs,

and confining removable means extending transversely about said pile of flexible bags intermediate the ends thereof.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said reinforcing member is substantially rectangular and extends substantially to the sides of said bags,

the other end of said member terminating in spaced relation to the bottom of the bags.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein each said bag has a gusset bottom,

said reinforcing member having the other end thereof adjacent the gusset terminating short of the gusset.

frangible strap comprises a paper band.

5. A flexible plastic bag package comprising a plurality of flexible plastic bags,

each said bag comprising two contiguous walls when the bag is in folded condition,

one of said walls extending beyond the other to form a lip,

said lip having a pair of spaced openings theret'hrough,

said bags being positioned with said openings in alignment and the shorter wall facing upwardly, a Ushaped fastening element having a pair of legs connected by a substantially straight bight portion, said legs extending through said openings with the bight portion extending across the top of the package,

-a rubber washer frictionally engaging of each said leg,

a substantially rigid paper reinforcing member interposed between the top-most and bottornmost bags,

the lower end LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

said reinforcing member terminating at one .end,sub-

stantially adjacent said legs,

said reinforcing member being substantially rectangular and extending substantially to the sides of said bags,

the other end of said member terminating in spaced relation to the bottom of the bags,

and confining removable means extending transversely about said pile of flexible ba-gs intermediate the ends thereof.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein each said bag has a gusset bottom,

said reinforcing member having the end thereof adjacent the gusset terminating short of the gusset.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,977,687 10/1934 Medoff. 3,044,233 7/1962 Altman 20657X 

1. A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAG PACKAGE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE PLASTIC BAGS, EACH SAID BAG COMPRISING TWO CONTIGUOUS WALLS WHEN THE BAG IS IN FOLDED CONDITION, ONE OF SAID WALLS EXTENDING BEYOND THE OTHER TO FORM A LIP, SAID LIP HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, SAID BAGS BEING POSITIONED WITH SAID OPENINGS IN ALIGNMENT AND THE SHORTER WALL FACING UPWARDLY, A U-SHAPED FASTENING ELEMENT HAVING A PAIR OF LEGS CONNECTED BY A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT BIGHT PORTION, SAID LEGS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID OPENINGS WITH THE BIGHT PORTION EXTENDING ACROSS THE TOP OF THE PACKAGE, FASTENING MEANS ON THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID LEGS, A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID REINFORCING MEMBER INTERPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE TOPMOST AND BOTTOMMOST BAGS, SAID REINFORCING MEMBER TERMINATING AT ONE END SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT SAID LEGS, AND CONFINING REMOVABLE MEANS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ABOUT SAID PILE OF FLEXIBLE BAGS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF. 